New Kids on the Block

The New Kids on the Block are the incredibly popular boy band from the late 1980s and early 1990s that have been reborn in the 21st century. New Kids on the Block tickets are once again a guaranteed sell out, as the fans that grew up idolizing the quintet gladly attend concerts and spur on tours in the name of fond memories.

Technically, NKOTB started in 1984. Then, producer Maurice Starr was in search of a new group to replace New Edition, who had fired him. Starr returned to his native Boston to recreate the boy band phenomenon. While New Edition featured an all-African American lineup, Starr hoped to scout an all-white version, hoping to endear the band to a more suburban crowd.

After holding open auditions Starr chose Donnie Wahlberg to be the start of something big. Wahlberg then did most of the rest of the work, recruiting his brother Mark, and friends Danny Wood, Jordan Knight, and Jonathan Knight. His brother Mark decided the New Kids on the Block soon after the project began. Neighborhood friend Jamie Kelly took his place, but ultimately Starr had to replace him with Joey McIntyre.

After taking creative control following the failure of a pure bubble gum pop debut album, these teenagers struck a chord nationwide with the Hangin’ Tough. Together the trio of Hangin’ Tough; Merry, Merry Christmas; and Step by Step went 13-time platinum. The songs “You Got It (The Right Stuff)”, “Cover Girl”, and “Step by Step” remain radio favorites for an entire generation of female fans.

The group broke up in 1994 after the Grunge movement, Alternative Rock, a burgeoning rap and R&B movement, and the rise of country music stole the nation’s attention. More than a decade later NKOTB reunited. The year 2008 brought the five singers back together and led to the Full Service tour and soon after the NKOTBSB (the boy band super tour with the Backstreet Boys). So far the reunited Kids have released two albums, the Block and 10, both of which landed in the Top 10 on the Billboard 200.